Carbon capture breakthrough at Durban climate summit

CARBON capture and storage, the ugly duckling of the climate change response, has had a breakthrough in Durban

CARBON capture and storage, the ugly duckling of the climate change response, has had a breakthrough in Durban after six years of talks.

The technology to strip carbon dioxide from power generation and industrial processes such as cement making has been approved as a clean development mechanism. The change is symbolic as much as practical, because under the new rules the clean development mechanisms, which encourage investment, are valid only in less-developed countries.

But the move has been welcomed by the industry, which believes carbon capture and storage must be introduced alongside renewable energy technologies.

Frederic Hauge, president of European environment group Bellona, said that integrated with renewable technologies, CCS could be a game-changer in tackling climate change.

"We talk about carbon-negative and restorative growth in Bellona," he said. "We're looking at using clean, concentrated CO2 from carbon capture and storage to increase the growth rate of algae by five times."

The algae can be used to co-fire a coal-burning power plant equipped with carbon capture and storage, with the captured CO2 used to grow more algae. Mr Hauge said that, counting algae production, it might be possible to get carbon sequestration rates of more than 100 per cent.

"This means in the future every kilometre you drive in an electric car may pull carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere," he said. "Next year we'll know if we've invented a game changer."

Meanwhile, as the Durban talks reached their final phase overnight, the standoff between the developed and developing countries over the future of the Kyoto Protocol continued.

Developing nations are insisting the developed countries commit to a second five-year Kyoto protocol. But developed nations want a new agreement with binding targets for all countries.

Some progress was made on establishing the $100 billion-a-year green development fund and other measures including REDD, a scheme to protect rainforests.